A glimpse inside Hillsdale College's network of classical schools across the country.
The Class of 2020, at an outdoor graduation on the campus of Founders Classical Academy of Leander. All photos courtesy Nickell Photography. One of my favorite things about school is studying the character of a class. In some fundamental sense, all 4th graders are the same, and all 8th graders are the same, and all… Continue reading Dr. O’Toole’s Speech at Founders Classical Academy of Leander’s 4th Annual Commencement
Yesterday I got to see the first cut of the video we filmed at Founders Classical Academy of Leander back in May, just before school finished. The short film will be available on the Founders Classical Academy website, and the full version will be used by Hillsdale College to explain the work of the Barney… Continue reading Preview of Hillsdale’s New K-12 Education Video, featuring Founders Classical Academy of Leander
Mary C. and Trevor S., two members of the high school string ensemble. After making an appearance at grammar school assembly this morning to entertain our Kindergarten-5th grade students, Mr. Stiglich's high school string ensemble held a little concert for the front office. The acoustics in the foyer are beautiful, and as they performed a… Continue reading Playing Bach in the Foyer
Something amazing happened today. I've been locked in my office in meetings all week, and this afternoon I had 20 minutes free, so I wandered out to the playground with my camera to enjoy the sunlight and talk to our grammar school students. Almost immediately one of our second graders came up to me to… Continue reading 2nd Grade Recites the Declaration of Independence at Recess
Every year in February, we travel to the frozen north for the Hillsdale College Classical Schools Job Fair. This year there were dozens of classical schools in attendance--both private Christian schools and charter schools--from all across the country. After a day-long conference with our fellow Headmasters in the Barney Charter School Initiative, Ms. Loy and… Continue reading How We Hire Classical Teachers
For the past semester, a group of our middle and high school students have been spending their afternoons rehearsing Shakespeare's The Tempest. This weekend they had their final performance at our first ever theater competition, hosted by Meridian World School. Competing against Meridian and Gateway Academy, our theater students won numerous awards, represented our school… Continue reading Shakespeare’s The Tempest: Our Fall Play
Kindergarten is so funny, especially in October. The other day I walked out to recess with my camera, something which happens once in a while and which is always exciting to the students because they know that the pictures sometimes make it into the yearbook. Students in the grammar school who have been with us… Continue reading Some Unplanned Kindergarten Portraits at Recess
"Appreciate literary irony, but do not attempt to live ironically. Remain—or become—susceptible to wonder and awe, not for sentimental and anti-intellectual reasons but for reasons quite the reverse. Wonder is to be cultivated because it is the necessary antecedent to all genuine intellectual growth, and essential for an adult life lived intelligently, comprehensively." - Dr. Whalen at Second Annual Commencement Ceremony
Unintended Consequences: How Four Kids' Classical Education Affected Mom and Dad by Kyle Swartz, the parent of four students at Founders Classical Academy of Leander: Anna (Class of 2019), Emily ('20), Jonah ('23), and Michael ('26) We all want what’s best for our kids. What our kids to be happy in this life. We want them… Continue reading Unintended Consequences: How Four Kids’ Classical Education Affected Mom and Dad, by Mr. Swartz
The Classical Classroom 